Dragonstar 12
by Kithrin
Summary: Ranma uses a magic mirror plus an explosion at his target destination leads to three fantasy setting colliding.What happens when three groups from very different cultures meet?Dragonlance,Ranma1/2,and Phantasy Star Universe cross Ranma/OC revision needed
1. Prologue One: An Explosive Exit

DragonStar ½

Disclaimer: this will apply to all chapters; characters are properties of their respective owners.

AN1: I am using some races, abilities, and other stuff from Phantasy Star Universe, but many of the characters will be original.

AN2: this will not be a self insert.

Prologue One: An Explosive Exit.

* * *

A young five foot ten woman with chocolate colored skin, red eyes, short blue hair, and long pointed ears looked out the window of her room, deep in thought. This lasted until a buzzer sounded at her door.

Touching a button on her computer to activate the door's communication system, and asked in a calm voice, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Diana," the voice on the other end replied.

Diana smiled as she recognized the voice on the other end. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and then walked to the door. She touched the control panel on the door causing it to open, revealing a four foot tall woman clad in what looks like blue armor with what looks like small thrusters on her shoulders and back. The two lines that ran from under her eyes to her jaw belied her nature.

"We were supposed to go to the graduation ceremony for the new guardians today. Did you forget, Diana?" the blue clad woman asked.

Diana sighed and replied, "Sorry mom I got lost in thought."

Her 'mom' smiled and shook her head. "That's what I thought, good thing I came over to remind you." She glanced over at Diana and continued, "You weren't brooding over **that** again were you?" The look on her 'daughters' face told her what she needed to know. She sighed, and hugged her looking more like a daughter hugging her mother than a mother hugging her daughter with her arms around Diana's waist. "Don't worry I'm proud of you. You showed the rest of the guardians that a Newman doesn't **need** techs to be a good guardian. Remember you are considered to be one of the best fortfighters of the guardians. This is all due to _your_ hard work," The blue clad woman said soothingly.

Suddenly Diana felt an impact at her back and another pair of arms was encircling her waist. A higher pitched voice said, "That's right! Although, you have to get ready if you want to catch your flight, unless you want to leave in your pajamas.

"Oops, I'll get ready right away," Diana said as she dashed into the changing chamber. She came out wearing a top that looked like a miniature kimono that is colored a dark orange and black. There is a glowing flower design on the left hip of the shirt. She is also wearing a pair of tight black shorts and dark orange pair of comfortable and easy to move around in sandals. A cloth belt with a large flowerlike design that settled on the back of the outfit completed the outfit.

Her 'mom' smiled when she came out. "Nice your boyfriend Nathan…"

Diana interrupted her 'mother' "Please, don't EVER mention him again. If I ever see him again it will be too soon."

"What happened?" her 'mother' asked in shock. "Last time I heard you two where getting along great."

"I was having lunch yesterday, when I overheard him talking to a human girl. He was bragging to her that he would win their bet. The bet was that he could lead me on and get into my pants before the month was out. Before I left I heard him say 'who could ever love a freak like her.'" She then sat on the bed as tears slid down her cheek.

Her 'mom' sat beside her and hugged her. On her other side another small woman slightly shorter than Diana's 'mom' also sat down and hugged her. This woman was wearing clothes similar to what Chun-Li was wearing in street fighter three with the addition of two wing like objects coming out of her back.

Her 'mom' replied sadly, "I'm sorry for introducing him to you; I thought that he would be able to see your true self." Her expression hardened in anger as she continued, "I will have a 'talk' with him AND Nav. I know a few missions that Nav needs done that he would be perfect for." She was smiling nastily as she finished

"Mom we should go. Val do you want to come?"

The yet unnamed girl smiled and exclaimed "Sure!"

"By the way Val, Is my axe done?" Diana asked.

"Yup, here it is," As the winged girl said this she produced a huge axe in a flash of light, the axe looked like a giant horn with a glowing white edge. She then handed the axe to Diana.

"Thanks," the red eyed woman replied, as she took the axe and stored it in her nanotransformer.

_Definition: Nanotransformer- a storage device worn at the back of the neck that is approximately the size of a quarter. It can store up to sixty unique Items by miniaturizing said items. _

Her 'mom' looked at her strangely and asked, "Why are you going to the graduation ceremony armed to the teeth? Not to mention that you are probably fully supplied."

"Yup, she had me store away over two hundred trimates yesterday!" Val said excitedly.

"Let's just say I have a bad feeling about today," Diana replied.

"Meet me at the shuttle pad Diana. I need to pick my equipment up from my room, I have learned my lesson about your 'feelings,'" her 'mom' said.

"'kay, mom."

Ten minutes later outside the Parum shuttle port…

"Diana!" a small woman in blue armor yelled as she ran up to her. She now had a glowing mark on her chest plate.

"You made it just in time, our shuttle is boarding right now," Diana said.

The three of them boarded the interplanetary shuttle without incident. The shuttle smoothly took off, passing through the clouds on its way to space. Once in space the shuttle passed through a series of rings, it accelerated as it passed through them. Once it reached the last ring the shuttle vanished in a flash of light.

A few seconds later the shuttle reappears in the last of another set of rings. These rings are in front of a massive space colony. The shuttle smoothly docked with the colony, but as soon as they did a computer counsel started beeping in front of our trio. Being closest to the control Diana hit a button and said, "Guardians Diana and Dementia here, what's the problem?"

A screen pops up (think of Washu's computer screen) showing an old man with a long white beard and goggles that look to have an airplane propeller in each eye piece. The old man replied, "Diana and Dementia, good to see you, but no time for pleasantries, we have multiple seed incursions we need the two of you…"

"Three sir!" Val declared cheerfully.

"Err right, I didn't see you there Val. Well anyway we need the three of you to make your way to A-photon reactor one." After he said that his face assumed a suspicious expression. He then asked, "Did you have a bad feeling today? I know you consider Val a friend, but you usually don't bring her with you to these events."

"Yes headmaster Nav, I did," Diana replied.

Nav sighed and said, "We need to register you bad feelings as an early warning device, the last ten times you have had them they have been right."

"Sorry, sir" Diana replied dejectedly.

"Don't apologize it's a gift."

"Yes sir, we will now head to the problem A-photon reactor one. Diana out," after she said that she hit the off switch.

Dementia stood up and said, "Let's get going Diana, Val."

"Yes mom."

"'kay!"

The three of them took off at a run. Three quarters of the way to the reactor they ran into a group of two foot almost humanoid monsters.

"Damn seed," Diana cursed. Then she continued, "Dark types, time to try out my new axe." The axe appeared in her hands.

"I'll give you fire support Diana!" dementia called out while shooting light infused photon bullets at the seed… from a rifle longer than she was tall.

"I'm heading in!" Val shouted excitedly. Her fist weapons appeared and glowed green.

The battle was short and brutal…

Diana charged in swinging her axe, and cut three enemies apart in a single swing. Blood, guts, and bits of flesh splattered against the walls. Val's fists caved in skulls as if they were rotten melons, ribcages shattered like glass, and limbs broke like sticks. All the while bullet holes the size of a fist appeared wherever Dementia's bullets hit.

"What the HELL! Why are they sending us against such WEAKLINGS?" Diana yelled as she cut through two more like a hot knife through butter.

Diana continued to make Swiss cheese out of the seed as she shouted back, "I don't know, but it does seem odd that they would send us when a couple of rookies would be sufficient. Perhaps they are stronger further in."

"I hope so!" Val chimed in cheerfully, as she decorated the walls with the contents of the last seed's head.

As the last seed fell the blast doors to the next section opened, and the two guardians and partner dashed through.

They rushed through the corridors and rooms… all of them either empty of seed, or seed so weak it ended in a slaughter. They stopped outside the reactor doors to ketch their breath from their running (or to let Diana do so.)

"Goddammit! They sent us here for this? Two rooms of weaklings, and a bunch of empty rooms?" Diana swore angrily.

"Calm down Diana there are probably more at the reactor," Dementia said soothingly.

"I hope so mom, if not I'm going to be pissed, and the headmaster will definitely know," Diana took a deep breath to calm down. "Well let's get in there," Diana said as she hit the button to open the doors.

The door opened to reveal a ten foot humanoid monster. The monster had large swords for arms and a nasty disposition.

Diana smiled and said, "Nice this one looks strong. Okay ugly here I come." She charges in screaming her battle cry, "I am Diana the Dark Diamond of the Alliance of Honor prepare to DIE!" she swung her axe at its waist.

"Wait for me!" Val yelled charging in with her fists swinging.

"Be careful Diana!" Dementia called out while providing covering fire with her rifle.

The bullets make finger width sized holes. The axe made a cut that the monster looked like it might need a Band-Aid for. The monster also received a light bruise from Val's fists. The seed knocks Val and Diana away

"Damn, it's strong!" Diana comments with a manic smile on her face. The smile is the type of smile that says 'I'm fighting for my life and loving every minute of it.' She uses a star atomizer on Val and herself to heal them of their wounds. She then shouts, "Mom, we'll keep it occupied, get a bigger gun out, and hit it from behind."

"Got it!" Dementia said as she switched her rifle out for something that is not only longer than she is tall but also nearly as tall as she is wide. It's roughly oval in shape with the handles on the top of the weapon.

Diana switched her axe out for a two handed sword that glowed red. The sword was four feet long and half a foot wide. It looked like an energy version of Cloud's weapon from final fantasy seven. "All right monster, let's go!" she said as she dashed in. She activated her photon art with a cry of, "Gravity Break!" Three powerful consecutive slashes later, she looked at the result of her handiwork. She pales as she sees that the monster only has three shallow slashes on its leg, deeper than what she did with the axe, but only slightly bothering the monster.

"Diana, LOOK OUT!" Val cried as she ran toward her. The little girl jumped in front her just in time to take the blow for Diana. The blow knocked her into the red eyed woman and sent them both slamming into the generator, and at the same time sending both of them into dreamland. Diana's sword sank into the ground by Dementia.

Dementia fired her grenade launcher until it was out of energy. Each shot caused an explosion at the seed's feet. The seed was obscured in smoke by the third shot. When the smoke cleared the seed was slightly scorched but still standing. On closer examination the slightly scorched look was simply soot from the explosion covering the monster. And the seed was relatively unharmed from the assault. The seed continued to advance until it was standing in front of the generator. "Damn, Diana! Val! Get up!"Diana shouted as the seed lifted its up, and brought it down… getting it stuck in the generator. Warning lights started flashing along with holographic display screens warning Dementia that the reactor was about to blow. Just as the reactor was about to blow up a white globe appeared right next to Diana and Val. The reactor exploded in a brilliant flash frying one of Dementia's mechanical eyes and temporarily. When her vision half recovered she saw pieces of seed distributed around the room but the only evidence that Diana had existed in the room was her sword embedded in the ground at her side…

* * *

Next chapter

Prologue 2

Ranma's Departure.

AN3: yes I purposely made Diana a bit bipolar with a battle personality and a civilian personality

AN4: Diana's not psychic she just has a sense of when the fecal matter's going to hit the rotating air circulation device.


	2. Prologue two: Ranma’s Departure

Prologue two- Ranma's Departure

AN: I Can't accept that Ranma ½ takes place in only one year the anime which doesn't go as far as the manga by multiple books (at least 8) is about one hundred and eighty episodes long, as well as having two movies. For that alone to be in one year Ranma would need to be getting into a new adventure every other day, with the adventures being completed the next day. Since we all know some of the adventures take over a week I'm going to assume that the series takes place over three years. This takes place one year after Saffron so Ranma is twenty years old.

AN2: I know this is a long inner monologue at the front, but I tend to not like extremely long/a lot of flashbacks.

* * *

Five hours relative time before Diana's reactor explosion in another place…

A young man in a red Chinese shirt and black kung-fu pants was sitting on the roof of a local university. He was reading a paper that had his freshman English assignment on it. Next to the pigtailed youth, a rested pile of papers with the name Ranma Saotome on the top of the first page. "Let's see, an eight to ten page paper on my plans for the future…" he read aloud. He picked up the papers and a pen and started thinking while tapping the paper with the pen. _My future, heh I think that this is the first time someone has actually ASKED me what my plans are. Everyone else had already decided what my future will be. Not that I have a lot of choices at present… at least with the current options breathing down my neck. _

_First option, marry Akane. I would be stuck running a poor rundown Dojo, a dojo that hasn't had a student in ten years. My life would be hell. I would be forced to eat that toxic waste that she calls cooking and used as a punching bag whenever she gets the slightest bit jealous. Why do I let her hit me anyway? Why don't I fight back? Oh that's right, if I did our worthless fathers would start whining and yelling about how I treat my fiancée, and my mother would start complaining about my manliness. Oh and can't forget that I would get blackmailed even worse by her sister Nabiki! That would be my life if I married her, nope not interested._ Ranma's hand was unconsciously writing his thoughts down on the papers. His expression darkened as his thoughts continue, _and how could I forget? I would be supporting the two pieces of crap that call themselves our fathers, the same fathers that would be living off of my blood, sweat, and tears. _

_My future with Ukyo wouldn't be much better. She is a cook first and a martial artist second. Her Ideal future with me would involve me helping to run her restaurant. I don't really think she knows how important my martial arts are to me. I can almost see it her forbidding me from going on training trips because she needs me in the restaurant, Her trying to stop me from fighting challengers, All that to live up to HER dreams. Not my ideal future._

_I suppose that would be better than what would happen with Shampoo. SHE would drag me off to china to live as a third class citizen. I can see it now the elders crippling me so that I wouldn't be stronger than ninety-nine percent of their population. I would be expected to be a good little house husband, expected to do all the cooking, cleaning, and child rearing. My male children would probably be treated like mousse and/or suffer similar fates, while my female children would be forced into the Amazon traditions._

_Kodatchi, her therapy is going well. She mainly 'keeps after me' to keep up appearances. Heh, the one that is thought of as the crazy one is friendlier to me than all my 'official' fiancées combined. _

The pigtailed man's expression went full brooding as his thoughts continue, _why are all these girls after me anyway? I know some are family honor and one is due to some archaic laws that have no place in any other society, but there has to be SOMEONE else that they can find to bother. I mean half of the world's population is guys. Locally there are… scratch that they're Kuno and the hoard… anyway there must be SOMEONE better than me out there for them. _

_On that note what do they REALLY think of me? Sometimes I feel like it's a contest and I'm the prize. I'm wondering if ANY of them love me for me. Do they? Do I love any of them? I guess that this is as good a time as any to think about these questions. _

_I have the most contact with Akane. She is my fiancée due to an agreement before I was born. I have NO idea why she hasn't requested the engagement be switched. Her claim is one of family honor. Does she love me? No I don't think so, how could she? She nether knows me or trusts me. How can she know me? We don't talk except to fight it has been that way since the beginning. I think she sees me as an object to own and control, she doesn't want to lose what is 'hers.' If she truly wanted to be my fiancée she would at least TRY to listen to my side of things before hitting me. In fact she seems to have this mentality that whatever happens is my fault… not that that's any different than anyone else around here. Ryoga is a perfect example, he pops up screaming for me to die and she tells me to stop 'picking on him.' I think I might have loved her once… then again she was also one of the few people to offer to be friends so it could have been just me latching onto the first nice person that I had met in _years_. If I had loved her I fell out of it due to the constant beatings, her lack of trust, and her temper. I am partially at fault with my foot in mouth disease, but she has gotten to the point that she loses her temper at the drop of a hat… literally._

*flashback*

"I'm home!" Ranma called out. He then walked into the Tendo house, brushing by a hat on a coat rack. The hat fell on the floor. "Oops ill get that." Ranma said as Akane walked into the room in time to see the hat fall.

"Ranma! How could you!" Akane screamed as she sent him into LEO.

*End flashback*

_I have my problems, I know I do. I haven't worked through them because they have saved my life. My Moko tabasha is biased off my confidence if I take care of my cocky attitude I would die, because I would lose that attack, or at least much of the power behind it. She on the other hand is in denial about her anger problems. She is also in denial about me being a better martial artist. That's it! That's the problem! I let her hit me, so she thinks she is better than me. I have made up my mind she will not hit me again. Perhaps if I do this she will get the picture. She expects to be better than me, even though I have been in intense training for fourteen years of my life, and in intense battles against extremely strong opponents for four years of my life. All she had to deal with are the hoard and a Kuno that held back against her. THOSE stopped shortly after I got here. I have never seen her spar with anyone, run through katas, or even seek training. She hasn't even done her normal training since she has gotten into collage. _

_I'm glad I live in the dorms now. Although it makes her worse when I go to the dojo to visit, and train with, pops._

_Ukyo I think I love… like a sister, NOT as a potential wife. She is after me because of honor, and that she has a crush on my six year old self. I don't think she loves me at all. A person doesn't go from trying to kill a person to loving them in a heartbeat. _

_Shampoo… I think I might actually hate her. I certainly don't trust her. She has made it perfectly clear that she CAN'T be trusted, with all those potions and spells. She claims to love me but she did that from the day I 'defeated' her, so I don't put much stock in those claims. She wants me as a trophy husband. The man who defeated Saffron would be a great ketch._

_Honor… my honor, my clans honor, and my fiancées' honor they are all at stake in this. My family honor is shot. No matter what I do this is true. The Amazons have proven that their entire culture has none, with all the potions, blackmail, and sneak attacks. The deal with Ukyo's father never involved honor to begin with. He knew that there was an honor engagement already active long before he met my dad. He expected pops to dishonor one engagement for another. _

_I hate my life, multiple fiancées, psychotic rivals, friends who want me dead, who are also psychotic rivals, and parents who want to use me to fulfill THEIR dreams. Not a single one has ever cared about MY dreams._

_What are my dreams? Do I have any? To be the best? No, that's my father's dream for me. To be a husband, then a father? No, at least not yet. Those are my mother's, my father's, and my fiancées' dreams. I don't have any dreams of my own do I? No, I was never allowed to develop them. The fat panda made sure of that. _

Ranma looked at his watch and saw the time. "Crap, mom wanted to meet me at the dojo today if I don't hurry I'll be late," he said.

He looked at what he had written, and said, "Wow, eight pages exactly what I needed…"

(AN: not a coincidental number it was how many pages my paper draft was up to this point.)

Suddenly, a purple haired young woman glomps onto the pigtailed man's arm. "You take Shampoo on date, yes?" she said.

Before he could reply two shouts were heard.

"Ranma, for cheating on Akane prepare to die!" a man with a headband, yellow shirt, and brown drawstring pants yelled.

"Get away from my Shampoo, Ranma" a man with thick glasses and white robes screamed.

Ranma sighed, and tore his arm away from Shampoo. His expression went from brooding to anger, as he turned on the two. "SHUT UP!" he screamed. "MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MINDS!" Both attackers stopped in shock at this uncharacteristic show of temper. Ranma pointed at the white robed man, and shouted angrily, "Mousse yesterday you where angry that I was talking to Akane nicely for a change saying that I was cheating on Shampoo! And you!" Ranma pointed at the man with bandana, as he continued, "You where trying your damndest to break me and Akane up! Both of you are worse than Kuno! At least THAT delusional moron is consistent.

The two looked at each other in confusion. Both of them where thinking _this is not how this normally goes_.

Suddenly a young laughing woman in a leotard jumped by twirling a ribbon. She snags Ranma in passing and jumps away with him. Nobody noticed the smile on Ranma's face.

Half an hour later the no longer laughing woman released Ranma. He turned toward her, and said, "Thanks for the save Kodatchi. I could have handled them, but it would have made me late. Could you tone down the fake laugh though? I thought you dropped it after the therapy?

Kodachi smiled as she responded, "Sorry, but it's for both of our safeties that the wrecking crew thinks I'm crazy. You're lucky I was passing by and could give you an out."

"True, did you find the item I asked you to?"

"I found it in the Kuno family vaults, but are you really going to use it?" Kodachi asked nervously

"I'm seriously considering it, and all the crap that goes on every day only serves to make it a more attractive option. Do you realize you're the only true friend I have? Everyone else wants to kill or marry me. My parents just want to use me," Ranma responded with a sigh.

"I see, could you take me with you?" Kodachi asked.

"What? Why?" Ranma asked in surprise.

"I am in much the same boat in respect to friends as you. You are the only real one I have as well," Kodatchi responded.

"You do realize that it will probably be a one way dangerous trip, right?" he asked seriously.

"I am," she responded grimly.

"Okay then you hold onto it, but you should pack lightly, and keep your pack handy in case things get to the point where I can't handle it anymore," Ranma said.

"I was packed as soon as I realized what it did. You should go before you're late to you meeting," Kodachi said.

* * *

T- minus two hours until Diana's reactor explosion. Location: Tendo Dojo

Ranma arrived at the dojo at around the dojo's dinner time. "I'm starved," the martial artist complained.

He entered the dojo to see his parents sitting at the table.

"Son, we need to talk," Nodoka said seriously.

Ranma sat down across from her, and asked, "What's up mom?"

"I have decided that I have waited long enough for proof of your manliness, so I have decided to give you a choice. Ether marry, and have a child in a year, or commit seppuku in accordance with the contract that both you and your father signed. Since your father put our honor on this engagement you will be marring Akane," As she said this Genma looked smug.

"Mom, may I see the contract?" Ranma ground out.

"Son, what's the matter?" Nodoka asked confused.

"Just let me see it!" he snapped

"Fine, but it's not very manly to snap at your mother," Nodoka scolded him while handing him the contract.

Ranma looked at the contract, and then at his parents, looking back at the contract he roared, "I HAVE HAD IT! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT I THINK OF YOU, YOUR ULTIMATUM, AND THIS DAMN CONTRACT!" He then proceeded to rip the contract to confetti, and then blasted the remains with a small moko tabasha.

Nodoka looked on in shock as Ranma destroyed the contract. She then glared at Ranma, and said, "That's it, I declare you unmanly, and you have dishonored our family. I'll get the seppuku ceremony ready."

"I refuse to honor a contract that I was tricked into finger painting on by a man with less honor than a common garden slug, and enforced by a pervert worse than Happosai. Since you love that damn contract so much more than your son, it's obvious that you don't deserve ANY child, as such I'm leaving the clan forever, and with it all debts associated with it."

"Son, think of what you're doing! Without a family name you will be kicked out of your collage, and unable to find a good job," His mother said, panicked at the thought of actually losing him.

"Look at the bright side, no fiancées, no seppuku contract, and the ability to decide what is right for my future. Congratulations your ultimatum cost you two your son, and your dreams." Ranma said with an edge in his voice, as he walked to the phone. He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello? It's me; could you bring 'it' to the park? Yes the situation has become intolerable, and I have had to leave my clan. I see, in about one hour? I'll be there," Ranma said into the phone. He then started to walk out the door. He paused just as he was about to leave, and said, "Oh, and IF I have any kids, you will never see them." With that he left the dojo and his shocked parents behind.

* * *

T minus five minutes until Diana's reactor explodes. Location: Nerima Park

Kodachi and Ranma where both standing in the park looking at a mirror, the mirror had writing around the edge of the frame, half of the mirror was reflective black and the other half was gleaming silver, it looked like a yin-yang symbol. Kodachi was wearing a practical shirt and pants combination, as well as a midsized pack on her back. "The mirror of exchange," Ranma said in awe. "It can grant almost any wish, but there is a cost. Ready Kodachi?"

"Yes Ranma," she replied.

"Mirror I wish that we could be sent someplace where I could use my skills to help protect others, and where I can find happiness," as the words left his lips he felt a wrenching sensation in his body, and a white globe sprang up around them. An instant later the globe disappeared leaving the mirror behind to drop to the grass unharmed.

T- minus zero to reactor explosion.

next time chapter one: Dropping in Under the Three Moons

Who are these people? or should we call them cushions?`


	3. Ch1: Dropping in Under the Three Moons

Chapter 1: Dropping in Under the Three Moons.

* * *

Eight people were walking on a road in the twilight hours.

One was a knight and had a stern expression on his face, he was wearing a full suite of platemail with the inscription of a kingfisher holding a sword and rose with a crown above its head an old sword hung at his hip.

The second man, who was leading the group, was a young looking bearded man. He was wearing ranger garb with finely tooled leather. His slightly pointed ears were listening for the sounds of pursuit, and his hand was kept ready to draw is sword when necessary.

The third that was kept in the center of the group looked like a cheerful child and wielded nothing but staff with a sling at the top, and he had many pouches adorning his small body.

The fourth was a short and stout man who was muttering complaints about kenders, lakes, boats, and whatever else he could think of at the time. Strapped to his back in easy reach, was a well worn battle axe.

The fifth man looked frail, and was being helped along by his brother the sixth. He wore a red robe, and held his dragon claw topped staff tightly in his hand. His hourglass shaped eyes peered out from his hood. His brother was a contrast, with bulging muscles and fairly glowing with health, the well used sword on his hip was his proof of a warrior.

The seventh man, who was dressed in the garb of the planes walked beside a beautiful young woman, with gold and silver hair, holding a staff with a tribal device at the top. The man was unusually tall, and showed signs of having recently recovered from an illness.

Suddenly a defining explosion rocks the calm night as bright flash came from over the eight figures. As suddenly at it appeared the light vanishes, but not before having some people 'drop in'.

"Oof," the armored man sounded out, as a man dressed in Chinese silks with a black pigtail landed on him, driving him face first into the ground. "GET OFF!" the armored man yelled futilely to the unconscious man who had used him for a landing pad.

At the same time as the male was landing on his armored landing pad, a woman with chocolate colored skin drove the tall man down to the ground in a similar manner. "What hit me?" he asked slightly dazed by the experience.

A small girl with what looked like small green wings flattened the short bearded man. "GET OFF OF ME!" he bellowed loudly.

The other five people in the party looked at the three pileups in shock; this lasted until the one that looked like a kid started laughing which triggered their sense of the ridiculous. The five nonflattened people started laughing uncontrollably. This lasted until a creepy sardonic laughter started up, which caused everybody stop laughing and look toward the sickly robed one.

The one with the pointed ears sighed, and said, "That's enough, we need to help Sturm, Flint, and Riverwind up. Then we need to find out who these people are, were they came from, and most importantly why they are here."

The big man walked over to the armored one and moved the pigtailed man off of him. He laid the man on his back gently. He then offered his hand to the slightly flattened man, and asked, "Are you alright Sturm?"

"I'm fine Carmon; my pride is a bit bruised though. What in Paladin's name hit me? All I heard was an explosion and then something fairly heavy hit me from above," Sturm replied.

"He fell on you after appearing in a flash of light," Carmon explained as he pointed at the pigtailed man. "Don't feel too bad, you weren't the only one that had someone, 'drop' in on them," Carmon added.

"Huh?" Sturm asked intelligently.

Carmon pointed at where the pointed ear man was helping the tall man up. The chocolate skinned woman was lying nearby. "See? Riverwind had a visitor as well, Tanis helped him get her off," he said before changing the target of his finger to point at where the young woman was helping the short bearded man up. A young girl was lying nearby. "And Flint had that young girl fall on him. I wonder if Goldmoon could use her staff to wake them earlier so we can find out who they are," he finished with a chuckle.

"Good idea, I want to know who they are, and why they fell on us," Tanis responded from behind Carmon. He then walked over to Goldmoon, and asked, "Goldmoon, would it be possible to use your staff to wake our guests? We need to find out whom they are and if they are a threat as soon as possible."

"I can try," she replied, but as she bent down to the little girl, and was about to touch her with her staff, the girl's eyes opened.

"Where's Diana?" the small girl cried out.

"Who's Diana?" Goldmoon asked gently.

The small girl stood up and looked around, upon seeing the chocolate haired woman on the ground, she cried, "Diana!" and dashed to her side. With a small flash of light a staff nearly as big as her appeared in her hand. With a cry of "RES!" an aria of about six feet lit up. When the light cleared the chocolate skinned woman's eyes opened.

"Huh? I'm still alive?" Diana asked confused. As she took stock of her surroundings she muttered out loud, "Not a desert, so it can't be Moatoob and the plants are wrong for Neudaiz. We must be on Parum, Val contact Guardian HQ or see whether you can connect to a satellite to call for a pickup or find our position. "

"Umm, Diana?" Val said hesitantly.

"Yes?" the red eyed woman responded.

"We aren't on Parum; I don't think we are in the Gurhal system at all. I can't detect any com signals in use, or any satellites. The entire EM wave bands are mere background noise, and I can't detect any technology AT ALL!" Val said in a near panic.

"**WHAT!**" Diana screamed at the top of her lungs, her eyes wide in shock.

"Also no constellations match the recorded constellations in any of the three planets, so it's reasonable to assume…" Val began.

"That we aren't in the Gurhal system anymore," Diana finished dryly.

Just then Tanis walked up to them, and asked, "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to ask some questions. Who are you, where do you come from, and why did you land on my friends?"

"Apologies, I didn't notice that you were there. My name is Diana, and this is Val. My last known location was the Guardian Colony space station, and I have no clue on why I 'landed' on your friends. Do you know why Val?" Diana replied formally, before she stood up and dusted herself off.

Val thought a second before responding, "Umm, last thing _I_ remember was getting knocked into you, and a white globe springing up a few feet around us just as the seed hit the generator."

"Maybe our other guest can answer my questions," Tanis said.

"If I may ask who are you people? I gave you are names, but you neglected to give us yours, and what other person? Me and Val would have been the only ones in range of the explosion that the generator would have made, or be in the white globe," Diana said in a slightly confused manner.

"Sorry, I'm Tanis, and these are my friends and companions, Sturm whom our other guest fell on, Flint who is who Val fell on, Riverwind is the one you flattened, Rastlin, Carmon, Goldmoon, and Tasslehoff. And the young man on the ground over there is our other faller," Tanis explained. "Goldmoon, could you wake our other guest?" he asked politely.

"I'll do it!" Val said before running over to the last figure on the ground and casting her healing technic on him. The technic not only hit the pigtailed man, but Sturm as well.

"What did you do to me?" Sturm yelled as he picked up Val, despite the fact that she was far heavier than she appeared, and started shaking her.

He quickly stopped, and let her go as a huge glowing white axe appeared next to his neck, and a cold voice said, "Drop her, that was only a healing technic."

Everyone looked in shock at the blue haired woman, they were in shock, not only because she moved extremely quickly, but also because she was easily wielding an axe nearly as large as she was. The fact that such a large weapon didn't seem to exist until she needed it was also a cause for surprise.

Val ran behind Diana, and said, "Meany, I was only trying to help!"

A Groan sounded from the recently healed pigtailed man, which brought everyone's attention to him.

The pigtailed man sat up, and said, "Damn, that mirror REALLY gives a rough ride." He then noticed that he was surrounded by strangers. "I'm Ranma, sorry 'bout this, but can you tell me where I am?"

"You're on the road from Solace. Now Ranma, what is this 'mirror' you mentioned and why did you drop in on my friend?" Tanis Replied.

"The Mirror of Balance was a magic mirror that can grant wishes, but there is always a price to be paid for them. I wished to be taken to someplace that my skills could be used to help others, and I'm guessing it transported me to land on your friend," Ranma answered.

"I think your wish dragged me along with you somehow," Diana said.

Ranma turned toward her, and stared. "Beautiful," he said. He then saw her expression which was a glare with a raised eyebrow, and he apologized, "Sorry, and sorry about dragging you here."

"I'll let the comment slide, for now. Don't apologize for bringing me along though, you probably saved my life by removing me prior to the A-photon reactor, which I was lying against, exploding," Diana said frostily at the beginning, but warming up near the end.

"Wait! Where's Kodatchi?" Ranma said in a panic.

Diana shook her head and responded, "If she was left where I was then she probably didn't make it."

"Damn," Ranma said. He took a deep breath, and started thinking about his situation, _Okay, Kodatchi's not here, and I can't bear to think of my friend as dead, so until I find otherwise I'll assume she was left in the park. Now I'm in the middle of ten people, all strangers. The mirror granted my wish, so I must be somewhere where I can help others, it already helped me save her from a gener… hey wait!_ "Hey umm… Miss?" he said to Diana.

"Name's Diana, and yes?" she replied

"Where on earth were you? I can't imagine anyone starting a fight near a nuclear generator." Ranma asked.

"Nuclear? Earth? I can't recall any nuclear generators in existence, except in some old book I read, and where's earth?" Diana asked puzzled.

The robed man interrupted, "I have never heard of any of these places, and some of these words are unfamiliar. Where are Earth, Moatoob, Neudaiz, Guardians Colony, and Gurhal? What do the words generators, space stations, and Nuclear mean?"

"Before we answer who are you people?" Ranma asked.

Rastlin sighed, and made the introductions once again for the pigtailed man.

"Thanks, now earth is the planet that I was born on, and I know of the words, if not in a scientific way. Generators produce electricity, the same stuff that is in lightning bolts, nuclear generators do so by splitting tiny particles called atoms to make the energy, and a space station is a place for people to go and survive outside of the air envelope of a planet," Ranma explained, as he called upon his limited science courses.

Rastlin's eyes glazed over as he tried to take in the implications of the conversation, nor was he alone in this respect. All but Carmon and Tasslehoff was the same, and many of them were thinking that the three newcomers were slightly insane.

"That explains about Earth. I am from the planet Parum, In the Gurhal solar system, the other locations are also planets are also part of the same solar system, well except for the Colony of course as it's not a planet." Diana explained. "Now since we seem to be on a different planet, what is its name?"

"Krynn," said a dazed Rastlin.

Tanis shook his head to clear it as he replied, "I would normally ask you three to come with us both because you are strangers making it so we don't know whether you can be trusted not to give us away, and the fact that you are not local, but none of you seem to be properly equipped for the journey or any fights we might encounter…"

As Tanis said that, Ranma punched a nearby tree with a foot thick trunk, and to the surprise of the companions it fell, broken at the impact point. The result left Ranma looking at his hand in puzzlement.

As for Diana and Val they each summoned a weapon, Diane resummoned her axe and Val summoned her glowing green fist weapons. Diana also explains, "We are also shielded against most damage we could encounter here if your weapons are any indication.

"What about Val? You don't expect us to bring a child to battle do you?" Tanis reasoned.

"I'm not a child," Val yelled. "I'm Diana's partner machine, and I'm armed with healing technics, and my knuckle weapons, besides if you were going to complain about children why is Tas here, hmm?"

"I'm not a child," Tasslehoff yelled. "I'm over twenty years old!"

Tanis started rubbing his temples to ward off a headache while thinking about how complicated this journey was becoming, before he said in a commanding voice, "enough, we need to get moving to find a secure campsite. You three can come along for now, tomorrow we can discuss this further." He then turned down the road, and stared walking.

As they started walking the groups started to subdivide as to whom they wanted to talk to, and struck up soft conversations with them.

Sturm fell back to Diana's side, and said, "I'm sorry, about what happened with Val, I don't really trust magic, and suddenly getting hit like that…"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and responded, "Apology accepted, but am I the one you really should be apologizing to?"

Sturm sighed, and said, "Your right, I'll apologize after we stop."

Just then a large human shape flew over head screaming.

"Who was that?" Diana asked curiously"

"I think Carmon, I wonder why and how he was flying. On second thought, Carmon, flying? We'll find out when we catch up with him I suppose," Sturm responded. "I'm curious about your world what's it like?"

"Why don't I tell all of you at once? This looks to be a long journey, and we could all use the opportunity to exchange stories, but I _do_ need information about what's going on in the world now so I know how to react," Diana explained.

"I see," Sturm responds, and starts to fill her in on the situation as he knew it from his travels.

As the two had their conversation a second conversation was taking place with another set of people.

Carmon and Rastlin buttonholed Ranma, Carmon due to the strength Ranma displayed and Rastlin due to pure curiosity and the fact that it might be amusing to see his brother try and ferret out the facts from someone.

"Just how did you punch down that tree, Ranma?" Carmon asked.

"I just punched it," Ranma responded casually. He then thought, _but the speed and strength of the punch seemed way lower than normal, almost to the point they were a month after I beat Herb_.

"Impossible, I can't do that, so there is no way that someone with your build could do so!" Carmon declared.

"So, you don't believe what you just saw? Anyway, my build as you call it might not be as muscular and broad as yours, but by using my ki I can enhance my strength and speed far beyond what my 'build's' would seem capable of doing," Ranma responded slightly derisively.

_Ah, new and potentially interesting information,_ Rastlin thought before asking, "What's ki?"

"My ki is the power of my life force, trained martial artists beyond a certain level can use it to enhance strength and speed, heal themselves and others, and even use it to perform various blasts of energy or other assorted long range attacks," Ranma explained.

"So it's a type of magic," Rastlin said thoughtfully, while putting what Ranma said into a context he could understand.

"NO, Magic is different. I know because I have run into enough magic crap that has screwed up my life. I landed on your friend due to a magic mirror for kami's sake. That mirror was the sole piece of magic that hasn't screwed up my life… yet. I just hope I won't come to regret using it, although I will probably regret it later…" Ranma said.

Rastlin glared at Ranma, then blinked and looked closer. His eyes, which normally show people, and objects as time acts upon them, showed three different images all super imposed on each other, and all seemed not to be ageing. He saw the Ranma in front of him, a shorter female form, and a flaming bird. As he shook his head to clear it he asked, "Why do you have such a low opinion of magic? And what types have you run into?"

"I have run into," Ranma paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "ancient Chinese curses, red string of fate, love potions of various types, hypnoses mushrooms, age reduction mushrooms, magic koi rod," Rastlin's eyebrow started to twitch as Ranma continued, "various other love magics, two magic weapons one used by me one by a kami in a battle to the death, magic cloning mirror, Nanban mirror, wishing sword, magic bra, and possibly a few dozen more I can't recall."

"I see, why you have your opinion on magic, I do have some questions though about that list. Magic bra? Curses?' Rastlin asked, but privately he was impressed, and concerned, about the amount of hostile magic the pigtailed man had run into.

"You will probably find out anyway, but due to a curse I turn into a girl with cold water and male with hot, as for the bra? Don't ask," Ranma explained.

"Bullshit," Carmon said. "There is no way you turn into a girl with cold water." In an effort to prove it he took his canteen and poured it on Ranma's head turning him into her.

"Was that _really_ necessary?" an angry redhead ground out. She then grabbed Carmon and threw him over the group to land hundreds of yards ahead of the group.

"And that was?" Rastlin asked. Privately he was thinking, _that's impossible, she tossed Carmon, who must be at _least_ four times her mass like a child! The sheer power of the curse is amazing as well, a permanent curse that can be activated and deactivated an infinite amount of times. _His thought stop for a second before his lips twitch in amusement, and finishing his thought, _at least it explains the female form I see super imposed on him._

"He deserved it; I was planning on showing everyone at once. Ranma said irritably before taking a canteen out of a pocket a third its size, heating it up with her ki, and pouring it on her head, returning to his original gender.

"Want me to see if I can do anything about that curse?" Rastlin asked, intrigued by the strange magics.

"Why would you?" Ranma asked warily.

"I'm a mage, and such things interest me, curses as powerful, and as long lasting as yours are rare, and actually considered impossible," he replied, and them mumbled, "Besides, given what you said you already ran into makes me think you might have had a harder life than most, and could use a break."

Ranma caught that last part, and shook his head. "You have _**no**_ idea of how hard my life was before I used that mirror, and I doubt you could understand. As to the curse? I gave up on a cure long ago, after over a dozen fake cures, and run-ins with curse locking artifacts posing as cures. I'm no mage but I imagine that fooling around with unknown magics is a bad idea," he replied.

Rastlin blinked at the frank reply, and responded thoughtfully, "I wasn't going to suggest simply winging it, as your correct about trying to alter unknown magics, instead I would only try something if I had a reasonable chance at success considering that the curse seems to be able to be locked so easily. Too bad you don't have a sample of the water that I could send to the council to study for me," Rastlin said the last part regretfully.

"I do have some samples, including one from the spring I fell in. If you think you might be able to do something about my curse, go ahead and try, but please tell me before you try anything to give me time to think about it.

"I'll try my best, and I'll send the water to the conclave as soon as possible, but please hold onto it for now.

At the same time the other two conversations were going on Goldmoon was inquiring about Val's healing abilities.

"Is that staff what allows you to heal Val?" Goldmoon asked politely.

"Not quite, I loaded a technic onto the staff so I could use it," Val replied while watching Sturm, and Diana carefully.

Goldmoon sighed and commented, "So it's different than my staff."

"Your staff?" Val asked curiously.

"It's called the blue crystal staff, and it can heal at a touch," Goldmoon responded.

Val cocks an eyebrow at that and muses, "I wonder if it would work on me? My healing technics do…"

"Why wouldn't it?" Goldmoon asked while cocking her head to the side.

Val looked at Goldmoon for a second as if she was stupid before remembering the apparently primitive technology. "I'm a machine, not a living being," after she said this, a large yelling figure flew over head.

"That looked like Carmon, no I must be mistaken," Goldmoon said. "What do you mean you're not alive, you seem to be."

That stopped Val for a second, before she responded, "In some ways, yes I'm considered alive, in some ways no I'm not. This world lacks the technical terms I need to describe what I am. Quite simply your technology is too low"

"Why do you say that?" Riverwind asked from behind the two.

"What do the words Photon, computer, or electron mean?" Val responded.

"I don't know, but what does that have to do with anything?" Riverwind grumped.

"These are things _ten_ year olds learn back home, and they are the basis for all the hard sciences, or are tools used in them. I would have to spend almost every one of your waking minutes teaching you for the next week until you could grasp what I am, and even then I'm hampered by the lack of demonstrations and equipment to fully tech you. The fact that you don't know what an electron is puts you _at least_ one thousand years behind us technologically, probably much more," Val explained.

"That far?" Goldmoon asked, while Riverwind was silent in shock.

"Yes," Val simply said.

"I see," Goldmoon said in a troubled tone.

At that point the companions walked away from the road into a small clearing, a small clearing with a large man named Carmon unconscious in the middle of it.

"This looks like a good place as any to set up camp. Besides we need to wait for carmon to wake up," Tanis said to the group.

The group, at least those used to roughing it quickly set up camp. Soon a fire with a large pot (courtesy of Ranma) of soup was sitting on a fire, and the companions including a now conscious Carmon, Diana, Val, and Ranma were sitting around the fire.

"Maybe we should introduce ourselves better," Ranma said. "My name is Ranma, and I am a martial artist. I used a magical artifact to arrive were you found me. Lastly I turn into a red haired woman with cold water, ask Rastlin for confirmation."

Everyone looked at Rastlin who nodded an affirmative.

"Diana, Newman guardian, Fortfighter Class out of Parum."

"Val, Diana's partner machine."

"Val are you some sort of AI?" Ranma asked.

"Yes, how did you know?" Val asked.

"Your description of yourself coupled with how you act, reminded me of some sci-fi books I read," Ranma answered.

"Carmon, I thought I saw you flying overhead earlier, why was that, and are you okay?" Goldmoon asked.

"I'm a bit bruised, but I learned _not_ to purposely splash Ranma with cold water. She can throw a person quite hard," he responded embarrassed.

"I'm Tasslehoff Burrfoot, call me Tas!" Tas said cheerfully

"Watch out or he'll steal you blind. I'm Flint Fireforge."

"Tanis half-Elf."

"Goldmoon of the Que Shu."

"Riverwind also of the Que Shu"

"Sturm Brightblade of Solamnia."

"Carmon Majere."

"And I'm Rastlin Majere. I would like to talk about the magic you two seem to be using."

Goldmoon shook her head, and responded, "I'm not sure that they are using magic."

"This is probably an example of Clarks third law 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic' basically if the technology gap is too big between the technology and the observer they will probably think its magic. My ki techniques might fall under something similar if this world doesn't know of ki." Ranma explained.

"Correct," Diana said. "My weapon storage is based off state of the art technology for _us_, this world apparently has no analogs I can make for it."

"Odd, I thought it was a flashy version of the hidden weapons," Ranma said as he pulled a Chinese saber out of his pocket that he 'borrowed' from Mousse after a battle.

Diana blinked and asked, "How the…"

"It's a ki technique that allows someone to pack a great deal of Items in a relatively small space. The primary advantages are that the items can't be stolen, and that a person doesn't have to carry a bulky pack to carry what they need." Ranma explained.

Diana pulled her eyes back into her head, and replied, "That works, although I have never seen anyone do that type of thing before."

Rastlin, let out a frustraited groan, and said, "_I'm _starting to get confused as to what's magic and whats not, _**and I'm a mage!**_"

Ranma flinched at the outcry and responded, "Sorry."

Rastlin's eyes caught Ranma's in a unguarded moment, and what he saw shocked him. They were the eyes of someone teetering over a pit of despair due to hurt and sadness, with only a spark of hope as a lifeline. He shook his head and replied softly, "it's not your fault; I just need to get my head on straight. I think I've had too many strange things happen today, and need some time to assimilate it all. I'm going to sleep, wake me when it's my watch."

Sturm turned toward Diana, and asked, "What's a guardian?"

"An organization dedicated to protecting the civilian populace. Most recently it involves destroying monsters called seed," Diana answered. She then yawned and said, "Val keep watch, and wake me at six am local time." She then pulled out a sleeping bag from her nanotransformer, set it up, and quickly went to sleep.

Shouldn't she have stayed awake until we set up the watch?" Tanis asked Val.

"No problem, I'll take the night watch!" Val said cheerfully.

Tanis raised an eyebrow and curious asked, "All night? What will you do for sleep?"

"I don't sleep!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

"I'll join you for the first watch; it is never good to have only one watch especially when the watch is a relative stranger." Riverwind said.

"I'll take the second," Tanis said.

"And I the third, I wanted to talk more with Val anyway," Goldmoon said.

The remaining members bedded down into sleep leaving only Riverwind and Val awake.

An hour into the watch Riverwind heard a cheerful humming. "What in the abyss?" he said softly, and started tracking the noise to its source. He found it; it was Val sitting on a log humming.

She stopped as she heard Riverwind approaching, and asked, "Can I help you?"

Doesn't it ever occur to you to be quite when you are being pursued?" Riverwind hissed angrily.

Val cocked her head and replied, "Who told us we were being pursued?"

Riverwind blinked as he realized that the issue never came up in conversation, with everyone curious about the newcomers. "Sorry, we recently got in trouble with some goblins; we probably got away, but it's better to be safe than sorry," he said softly.

"Why were you being chased?" Val asked.

"We have an artifact of the true gods, and the high theocrat in solace proclaimed us heretics and sent the goblins after us," Riverwind replied.

Val shrugged and said, "I was never programmed to believe in gods, so true or false, it's all the same to me. On the other hand you should have told us we were being pursued, I would have been on maximum alert immediately. Go back to your position, while I step up my surveillance." She then goes quite.

"Val?" Riverwind said, and upon getting no response he turned and went back to his position.

All through the night Val remained silent, concentrating all her effort on discovering hostiles in the area.

* * *

End chapter 1


	4. The Morning After

DS Chapter 2: The morning after.

AN: Added a authors note at end of the first prologue, and made some corrections with both prologues and chapter 1.

AN2: I know I'm leaving out vast amount of conversation, and glossing over much of the book, but most of it is not overly important to this story, or wouldn't be spoken in front of Ranma and/or Diana due to the fact that they are newer and arrived under dubious circumstances, and much of the cannon Dragonlance conversations would be overwritten, delayed, or have to be cut short by their curiosity of the newcomers. If I try to do TOO much of the cannon conversation I will be rewriting half the book. On the other hand some parts will be taken almost word for word.

"Diana, it's time to get up," Val said in a serious tone.

Diana's eyes snapped open quickly, because she knows when Val is serious there's a problem. Her mother, who had programmed Val, gave her a slightly bipolar personality. Most of the time she's her almost annoyingly cheerful normal self, even on many missions she is like that, mostly elimination missions, in which the situation, while serious allows her to cheerful and enjoy the combat, but certain missions turn the partner machine cold and calculating. These missions include escort, stealth, and evasion missions. These types of missions make her normal personality a hindrance because she is a tad too loud.

"Whats wrong Val?" the Chocolate skinned woman asked.

"I heard our traveling companions are in a bit of trouble," val responded.

"Before you continue, perhaps we should retrieve Ranma so we can fill him in as well," Diana reasoned.

Val nodded, and moved to wake Ranma up, when a large figure landed with a crash near her before she reached halfway point to where Ranma had set up for the night. Val looked at who it was and upon noticing it was the knight simply shrugged and moved on. She reached where Ranma was in a sleeping bag, and noticed that he was still apparently fast asleep, as if had never awakened when he tossed, Sturm. She considered this new information and thought better than simply shaking him awake, instead she took a bottle of water out of her storage space and splashed him, now her with it.

"Gah, wha'd you do that for you tomboy," Ranma said springing up to a sitting position.

"Tomboy?" Val asked.

"Sorry, thought I was back home for a second, why'd you splash me?" the red haired girl asked.

"We three need to talk about our current traveling companions, follow me to Diana," The partner machine said before moving off.

Ranma nodded, quickly packed up, and followed the normally excitable AI.

They quickly reached Diana, who had already packed up her sleeping bag, and as soon as they settled Val quickly filled them in with what she learned from Riverwind and Goldmoon the day before.

"A fight between faiths huh? I think our group is in the right, how many book with goblins in them are they good guys? While I know that the books might not reflect reality I have a feeling that in this case..." Ranma, who had read a few fantasy books said about the situation.

Diana nodded, and replied, "I agree I have a bad feeling about the other side, it would be a mistake to join them."

Val heard the words bad feeling and simply resigned herself to traveling with the current group.

"By the way, Ranma. Not that I'm complaining, but, why'd you throw the knight?" Val asked.

"I did? He must have tried bothering me while I was asleep, I fight most anything that gets too close to me while sleeping weather their hostile or not. Few people are immune to it," Ranma explained sheepishly.

The two others look at her like he was slightly crazy, but were distracted when Tanis angrily stomped up to them, and said, "Ranma, May I ask for an explanation upon why you threw my friend?"

"I tend to defend myself while asleep. Honestly? I didn't even know it happened until I was told by Val," Ranma responded calmly.

Tanis sighed at that before responding, "Well our group decided that you could stick with us if you want, we are heading to Haven to speak with the seekers, and hope they aren't as corrupt as the one in Solace."

"Seekers?" Ranma asked.

"A religion dedicated to what they call the new gods," Tanis replied. "We hope they will have information concerning Goldmoon's staff."

"I see," Diana said contemplatively, "but I don't really believe in gods. My mother never really did, but enough about that we should get going."

Tanis nodded and led the three dimensionally displaced companions to where the rest of the group was waiting. They quickly set off down the road, the companions made small talk, which mostly concerned the past of the group, and their current circumstances. Tasslehoff on the other hand had volunteered to scout out the road ahead, and so wasn't involved in the discussion.

Ranma once again used his ki to warm up his canteen and pored enough on herself to change back, just before Tas came running back waving his arms. "Into the brush!" he said.

Most of the companions,got down into the ditch to hide in the shrubbery along the road, all but Sturm and Ranma that is. Tanis tried pulling him to the side of the road, but Sturm refused, he stated coldly, "I will not hide in a ditch!"

Ranma noticed this and said, "I'll stick with him, no telling if he will need help or not, besides, your pursuers don't know me, so I might make them less suspicious of him."

Sturm caught the pigtailed man's eyes, and gave him a nod. While he hadn't forgotten what happened earlier, he did appreciate that he was going to have backup in this potentially dangerous situation. His backup might be unarmed, but with the strength he had demonstrated the night before Sturm knew he would be an asset in a fight.

The feint sound of a wagon, along with muffled conversation was soon heard, and Tanis sighed and said quietly, "Perhaps you should talk to them, we need information about the road ahead, but be careful my freind."

"I don't plan on throwing my life away needlessly," Sturm replied.

"And, I'll be here to help him as well," Ranma added.

Tanis scrambled to hide with the others, just as a wagon appeared around a bend in the dirt road, the wagon was surrounded by a group, all of whom were concealed by hooded cloaks and robes, their hands, which oddly did not have five fingers were swathed in bandages, this meant that every part of their bodies was concealed from view.

Ranma's eyes narrowed as he saw them coming. To his developed ki senses it was obvious that they were not human. Not only that, but their ki seemed to be twisted, distorted, and worse of all the manipulation looked deliberate. He kept his cool though, and shifted to one of his combat stances that made it look like he was standing casually around.

"Hail Knight of Solmania and companion," the lead being said in common.

"Greeting brethren," Sturm answered also in that tongue. "My companion and I have traveled many miles this day, and you are the first travelers I have passed. I have heard strange rumors, and I seek information about the road ahead. Where do you come from?"

"We hail from the east originally," the cleric started to answer, when it noticed a green glow from the bushes, just as it started to rain, the effect of the rain was to cause the others in the 'cleric's' party to gasp, drawing the the leader's attention away from the glow to see the pigtailed man was missing, replaced by a buxom pigtailed woman.

Tanis suddenly wondered why the cleric's voice had tailed off when he noticed that he was looking right at the group, before turning to see the changed Ranma.

The leader, confused at both the glow, and what happened to the second male they were confronting, along with the appearance of an unknown, decided to wait a bit before attacking. And continued with his answer, and ended up saying more than he ment in his distraction, "but today we travel from haven after we tracked an object we seek from a village in the plains." the cleric paused when he realized what he had let slip, so he followed up with the story they had planned to use in case someone got overly curious. "It is a blue crystal staff, that was stolen from our brethren, we need it to cure our sick brother."

Ranma's eyes narrowed at this, he could sense the ki of the person in the wagon, and it was the same as the cleric, with no indication of any injury, or sickness that would need magical healing, in fact he couldn't sense any injury's what so ever.

Goldmoon, upon hearing this walked out of the bushes, intending to check the verasity of the clerics story, and to dispense what aid she could, when she was stopped cold by a two words from Ranma.

"Your Lying. I can sense the ki of the one in the wagon, and at most he has a sprained muscle. Who and what are you really?" Ranma said coldly.

Goldmoon Remembered the conversation they had while walking, Ranma had explained that ki was the energy that runs through the body, and people who can detect it can tell things about people, the state of health, weather somebody is lying as well as do things that seem like magic.

The clerics, who recognized that their cover was blown attacked, causing the rest of Sturm's friends, and Diana, to surge out of hiding. The Sturm plunged his blade into one of the now uncloaked figures. The figure looked like a lizard man with wings and brass colored scales, and a draconian head. The figure was killed instantly, and just as quickly turned to stone.

Ranma noticed that and yelled out, "Don't stab them they will turn to stone and trap your weapon!"

The warning was in time for all but Riverwind who made a similar mistake, luckily Tanis was able to toss him a dagger.

Ranma, who normally refrains from killing blows recognized that these things were monsters, and if simply disabled would no doubt come back to cause more trouble so, for only the second time in his life, attacked with intent to kill, two quick Kasu ryu dans later and two of the monsters dropped to the ground, the weighty problem that once rested on their shoulder's now lying at their feet. One of the two killed was going to put a sword through Rastlin's back while his brother was fighting another and Rastlin himself casting a spell that caused a third to ignite. The second kill was one that tried to strike Sturm while he was trying to recover his sword. Sturm, and Rastlin after he finished his spell, stared at Ranma who had, at least to them, just cast magic with no words, no spell components, and little effort. Ranma on the other had was glad he had practiced many of his skills so he didn't NEED to yell out the attack.

Diana and Val had also quickly taken out a opponent a piece and Diana found out quite quickly that the turn to stone ability of these monsters did not impede her photon based weaponry. The rest of the companions quickly finished off the rest as they were distracted by the quick demise of their allies.

Ranma noticed Sturm trying to free his sword and went to help. A quick bakusai tenketsu caused the stone corpse to blow up, incidentally causing a friendly fire mishap when a fragment hit Sturm in the head, knocking him out, and causing a minor concussion.

"Crap," Ranma said, he tried waking the man up. He saw the others looking impatiently at him so he, picked up the sword, and quickly returned it to Sturm before picking the armored man up in a fireman's carry, and moved to where the others were waiting.

"What happened THIS time?" Tanis asked tiredly .

"The technique I used to get his sword out had a bit of a blast radius, and I forgot he's not as tough as my normal opponents. Don't worry I'll carry him until he wakes. It won't slow me down eather," Ranma answered sheepishly before adding under his breath, "At least not at the speeds you travel."

Tanis nodded as the group put some distance between the attack site and themselves, this time conversation was subdued as the group moved on, soon enough Sturm woke up with a splitting headache groaning he realized that he was moving and took a look downwards. He soon realized he was being carried by somebody with red hair tied in a pigtail, and the only problems he was causing her was his size and not his weight.

"Finally up?" Ranma asked. "Sorry bout knocking you out like that, but I did manege to get your sword out, it's in its sheath."

"Let me down I can walk, and next time warn me before you do something like that!" Sturm replied slightly upset and in pain. The only reason why he wasn't completely pissed was that Ranma had saved his life earlier that day.

As Sturm dismounted he staggered a bit, but maneged to stedy himself as the group looked on. As the group set out Ranma asked them a question, "You said that the gods were active at one point on this world right?"

Flint nodded as he replied, "Yes, and some claim they are still active. That is why we are following Goldmoon, she was the best lead we have to discover what happened to them."

Ranma's face darkened as he commented, "I hope they are better than the one I met, or I may have to do a repeat performance of what happened with the last 'god' I met."

"Repeat performance?" Riverwind asked curiously.

"My first kill," Ranma answered in a tone of voice that indicated to the others that he wasnt interested in speaking of the incident further.

The group with the exception of Diana and Val, were wide eyed at the proclamation. The tone even cowed the normally over excitable kender.

Sturm while disturbed by the revelation was distracted, he was seeing what looked like a white stag, and remembering the story told at the in pointed it out and insisted they follow it they did, and with much bickering about following an invisible stag, which Ranma stayed out of since he had done far weirder. The trail that the stag took them on led them to Prayers Eye peak, a peak that looked like two hands preying. The path he lead them through an old game trail, miraculously not overgrown even with the fact that nobody had taken it for centuries, to a gap in the 'hands' that comprised the peak. They continued for awhile until Tanis, noticing Sturm was about to collapse called a halt to which Sturm agreed.

Diana notising the pain Sturm was in went over to hand him a trimate from her nanotransformer. While Rastlin started to have a severe coughing fit. Ranma went to him to see if any of his limited knowledge of ki healing techniques could help the ailing man, and as the two sets of people were in contact it happened.

* * *

There is relative time, and there is absolute time. Absolute time tends to be constant with few exceptions, meaning that for every second that passes for a person a second passes for everyone else. Relative time on the other hand spawned such sayings as time flies when you are having fun.

The Absolute time is constant, except in two circumstances, one of which is currently irrelevant which is at near light speed. The other circumstance is that time can flow at different rates between dimensions, this differential can be minor, such as one point five seconds in one is one second in another, or in the case of three dimensions the variation can be more extreme.

* * *

At the same time as the companions were traveling up the mountain, Two months in that dimension after Ranma's departure, in Nerima...

A group of people were standing around a table on which a Mirror sat. the mirror was one half glossy reflective black and one half silver. The group surrounding the table had an uneasy truce, their purpus? To retreive a certain pigtailed martial artist. A one foot or so high old woman picked up the mirror, and remembering the terms of the alliance that they had, and used to find the information about the mirror that they were about to use, looked the surrounding people in they eyes, the fat man with a bandana on his head, the traditional woman with auburn hair and holding a wrapped katana, her purple haired grand daughter, the white robed young man, the deluded samerie, the chef, three sisters, and a weeping mustached man. She took a deep breath and spoke her wish, "I wish that Ranma would be brought back to Nerima."

Unknown to anyone but its creators the mirror had a sentience, and it did not like conflicting wishes. Unknown to the old woman the name of the mirror is also a hint, the mirror likes balanced wishes more than unbalanced. Ranma's wish was balanced, it had an unselfish side, his desire to help and a selfish one, using the wish to find personal happiness. Colognes wish on the other hand was selfish considering it had no bearing on what the person the wish affects wants. Now the mirror is bound to try and grant the wish, so it attempted to make a compromise. First since the woman he first sent Ranma to, as she had the potential to make him a good wife with a good chance for a happy marriage was nearby it would bring her, and her partner along with Ranma. The two were also in contact with potential friends so it was child's play to bring them along, the mirror, feeling the strands of destiny from the two decided that they should return to their companions, and with the time differentials between the dimensions, it's easy enough to make it possible to have them back in time to do what they must, the mirror also decided to have them visit Diana's home world. Ranma wished for a chance at Happiness and so, the fact he would have a choice in where to go gives the best chance of it happening. If Ranma decides on a world he will be left there, and the mirror will refuse any other such wishes as impossible. The mirror was about to finish when it noticed something that had been following the target of the wish, and in a impish moment decided to bring it along as well.

The mirror, which had no reactions for near a half minute suddenly flashed as it brought Ranma back to the world and dimension of his birth, but instead of sending him to where the group was gathered, it sent them to the roof of a nearby high school.

The Mirror, for the space of five minutes had the words 'wish granted' in silver, and black fire in it for five minutes before it went back to recharging, this time, since it had been used without a full charge meant it couldn't be used for two to three years.

End chapter.


	5. Chapter 5:Notice

Notice:

I'm Closing the poll about this fic, most seem to be wanting a rewrite, so if anyone wants to volunteer to help I'm all ears, new poll will be up by 5/22/11 about enchanted Naruto.


	6. Alert and Apologies

Alert:

This version of this fic is officially dead. I haven't read the Dragonlance novels for some time and don't have them handy. Besides I think I wrote myself into a corner.

I will be rewriting this either making it a single cross, or crossing the fiction with Ar tonelico, or Naruto. I apologize to the fans of this fiction but I can't really think of how to modify the Dragonlance scenes to add extra characters w/o the scenes being almost completely cannon with extra characters, and to me just rewriting the book is a big don't. I will welcome suggestions on the crossover Idea.

If anyone wants to take this over there more than welcome, just tell me first.


End file.
